With a birth weight of three pounds, five ounces, Samantha spent her first month of life in the neo-natal nursery. It was extremely hard for me, but nearly unbearable for Tina. She would go to the hospital to feed Samantha while I was at work, and then, after I got off, we would spend the evening with Sam...until they asked us to leave. Tina would be a wreck every time she left Sam. I guess only a mother can totally understand such heartache.

On the morning following Samantha's birth, Tina asked the doctor who had performed the emergency C-section, what had happened. He told her that Samantha had run out of room in the placenta, and had suffered oxygen and nutritional deprivation. When Tina asked him about any long term effects, he told her that Samantha was doing well, and that we should talk to the pediatrician about any concerns we might have.

When Tina spoke with the pediatrician, she told her what the doctor who had performed the C-section had said. The pediatrician told Tina that Samantha would be monitored through her check-ups for any growth retardation. She told Tina that although there had been complications, Samantha was doing very well.

At the end of the fourth week of Samantha's hospital stay, we were told that we would finally be able to take our baby girl home. You can imagine our excitement at hearing such news.

On the morning we were to take Samantha home, we arrived, only to find that someone had shaved the top of Samantha's head. No one seemed to know why this had been done...we were never told the reason behind it...to this very day, we still do not know why it was done.

We left the hospital carrying our baby, and the encouraging words from the doctors. We were convinced that everything was going to be ok, and that Samantha was going to "skate" through her infancy. We had no idea that her skates would come "minus wheels".